People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 March 1894 — Correspondence. [ARTICLE]

Correspondence.

ACROSS THE DEEP. Prospective Tour Tkrougli England and Scotland. From our Special Correspondent. London, Aug. 1, ’93. I suppose the question has often arisen in the mind of those who have had the patience to peruse these uninteresting lines of dry chronicle, “What does it cost?” That question will not be answered by opening any private accounts, but a few estimates may be given as a guide to the probable expense of a visit to England and Scotland. In the first place the cost of traveling is a relative thing, depending upon the places visited and the tastes of the traveler. I should say that the latter element is the most important in Europe, because the methods of travel have been divided so as to meet the demands of the traveling public. In all the states of Europe, with the exception of Switzerland, I believe, the railway fares are divided into three classes with considerable difference in prices. The third class moves the bulk of the traveling public, and is. on the whole, better than accommodations that are furnished on most American roads. Every English train must have a third class car. For example, the distance from Liverpool to London is 202 miles by rail, and the third class fare is $4.18, or about two cents per mile, while first class rates are almost double this amount. Since England and Scotland are rather small in proportion to the time required to see them profitably, the cost of railway fare will not be a very important item in one’s accounts. To visit England properly it should be done on a bicycle. The roads of England are uniformly good, and it is surprising at the amount of traveling done in this way. There are not many places on the island that cannot be reached on a bicycle. I cannot imagine a summer more pleasantly spent than in a cycle tour through Scotland and England. Let us notice a cycling tour more closely. We may make Chicago a starting point. A ticket from Chicago to Liverpool and return, of course, depends upon the line and the class of passengers. If you go first class, upon the record breakers, you must expect to pay for it. By judicious selection and comparison I should say that one could get a return ticket for not more than §IOO. Of course, on the boat this includes rooms and board, making a distance of about 5,000 miles for SIOO, including living expenses for most of the time. In case no “wheel” was brought the best manufacture can be had for about S6O and under. I have seen what appeared to be splendid pneumatic wheels for §4O and §SO. By a small fee you can become a member of the Cycling Club of Great Britain, which places you in communication with some 25,000 resident members, who are bound t© give advice and information to members as to routes, etc. You also come in possession of some 3,000 addresses of hotels where members receive reduced rates. The expenses then depend upon time spent in travel and class of hotels visited. If one follows the direction of guide books he is likely to pay for the information. The best advice in this matter is to do a little systematic inquiry when one comes to a place, as this is consistent with a cyclist’s life. Starting north from Liverpool the roads are so splendid, and country so delightful, and places of interest fall so thick and fast that one passes over space in a sort of half conscious manner. If you consult a map, you notice that it is but a little

distance to Manchester, and then swinging back along the coast to Preston and thence to Lancaster, about 50 miles from Liverpool. We will only give the main cities so that a line may be traced. Many points of interest lie between, as well as in side journeys. From Lancaster you pass into the English Lake Country, one of the most beautiful regions of all England, and thence to Carlisle, on the border of Scotland, a distance of 119 miles from Liverpool. If it is not desirable to visit Scotland, you may cross to the east coast of England to Newcastle-on-Tyne. But we maintain that it is desirable to visit Scotland in spite of the fact that it would be somewhat rough for bicycles. But the Scotch road is a work of art and much fear need not be entertained. From Carlisle to Dumfries, and thence north into the Robert Burns country, and on to Glasgow, about 125 miles. The route to Edinburgh should be made through the Scottish Lake Country, over which some of the distance must be made by boat. The distance by rail from Edinburgh to London is some 400 miles and the side places to be visited are many. In this route south you meet many of England’s great cathedrals and besides many beautiful farming regions. Where distances are long and time is short the train can be boarded. London is a centre of innumerable excursions, the principal of which is Canterbury. From London back to Liverpool, as said before, is 202 miles, making the entire distance about 1,000 miles. This distance can be curtailed and lengthened according to time and skill of cyclists. An average distance of 30 or 40 miles per day can be easily made, including stops in towns, etc. The entire trip with a two months stay in England and Scotland need not exceed $225 and by carefulness can be made for much less. This, of course, means only necessary expenses for comfortable and profitable traveling. This estimate is based upon my experience in England, but is no clue, whatever, to my expenses, which were so small that I would not be believed if I should open my books. This same route can be made by rail for even less than by a cyclist’s tour, but you cannot derive the same interest and profit as by the latter method, since much of the real value and beauty of a trip through England is gained by the magnificence of her rural scenery and life.

You often see advertisements of plans of tours, in various parts of Europe, and their cost, but if you desire an economical trip, besides the benefit accruing, make it on your own responsibility, in company with one or two friends. The party should not be large and should be of similar tastes as nearly as possible. The tour should be pretty thoroughly mapped out and time determined and divided or you will find yourself spending your time in unimportant things at the expense of the more important.

My experience has taught me that I appreciated those places that I knew most about, so that the more one is acquainted with the literature and history of places visited, as well as customs of the people in different countries, the more permanent will be the lessons.

You often hear the remark that one should have seen his own country before turning his attention to any other. I think this is radically a mistake. One cannot rightly appreciate his own country until he has contrasted its institutions with those of others. If we have traveled the length of one of the states we have a fair idea of what we will find in the others, with some variations in natural scenery. lam confident that

for pure natural scenery, the mountains of the west cannot be excelled. But the scenery of England, Scotland and Switzerland means more than that, because of their influence on the development of the character of national life associated with them. The history of England is a part of our own history, since we have inherited her lan - guage with its rich and noble literature as well as her love for liberty and freedom. Many persons will doubtless visit the California Exposition from all parts of the east. A ticket from Chicago and return, including all necessary expenses of six weeks will amount to almost as much as a ten weeks’ trip from Chicago through England and Scotland and return. It will cost more on the continent unless you are acquainted with the different languages, because the one thing you must do is to conceal your identity as an American until prices are adjusted. In Germany it is almost as cheap to travel, if you know how, and have the language, as to remain in one place or, in other words, to stay at home. I have written these lines partly because I have received letters asking for information and partly because persons from Rensselaer are in the habit of spending a few weeks in summer vacation at some watering place where prices are criminal, when, by adding a few more days, they can see old England with all her beauty and grandeur. An experienced traveler once remarked to me that by proper care one can travel as cheaply as he can stay at home, with a slight advance for fares. A word of explanation further. lam not at all responsible if anyone should try this experiment and find the cost radically higher, for your tastes and purse may be other than for which this estimate was made. At the same time any person who wants to make the trip cheaper can do it. On the same steamer on which I came were two young men, graduates of the University of California, who intended to make a six months’ pedestrian tour through Europe and return to California on SSOO dollars each, and they can easily do it and have a margin if they know how to travel.

So I should say, know exactly where you are going, what there is to be seen there, how long you can stay; travel in a small party, and be as independent as possible, and be constantly on the lookout for the best to be had for the least terms with reference to convenience, etc., that is not to take the first steamer price consulted and likely not the first hotel visited. If you are afraid of the ocean all I can say is that the principal danger is from Chicago to New York and a good dose of sea sickness will do the average person a great amount of good. England seems a great ways from Chicago but can be reached in eight days. If any person should seriously think of making this trip, as I am informed there are, I believe I can materially aid them and will gladly do so.